Methods for phenotyping cowpeas for adaptation to drought are reviewed. Key factors involve achieving optimal time of flowering and cycle length, and appropriate morphology for different types of cultivars as they relate to their utilization for dry grain, hay, and fresh pea production. Strong resistance to vegetative-stage drought is available and should be incorporated. The extreme ability of...

We used phylogenetic and population genetics approaches to evaluate the importance of the evolutionary forces on shaping the genetic structure of Rhizobium gallicum and related species. We analysed 54 strains from several populations distributed in the Northern Hemisphere, using nucleotide sequences of three 'core' chromosomal genes (rrs, glnII and atpD) and two 'auxiliary' symbiotic genes (nif...

The genome sequence of Rhizobium sullae strain HCNT1, isolated from root nodules of the legume Hedysarum coronarium growing in wild stands in Tuscany, Italy, is described here. Unlike other R. sullae strains, this isolate features a truncated denitrification pathway lacking NO/N2O reductase activity and displaying high sensitivity to nitrite under anaerobic conditions.

Rhizobium esperanzae CNPSo 668T is a nitrogen-fixing symbiont of Phaseolus vulgaris isolated from Mexican soils. Its genome is estimated at 6,294,057 bp, with 6,219 coding sequences (CDSs) showing higher similarity (92.9%) with Rhizobium etli Three copies of the regulatory nodD, in addition to other nodulation genes, should define its host specificity.

Rhizobium sullae strain WSM1592 is an aerobic, Gram-negative, non-spore-forming rod that was isolated from an effective nitrogen (N2) fixing root nodule formed on the short-lived perennial legume Hedysarum coronarium (also known as Sulla coronaria or Sulla). WSM1592 was isolated from a nodule recovered from H. coronarium roots located in Ottava, bordering Sassari, Sardinia in 1995. WSM1592 is h...

BACKGROUND Millions of people rely on N95 filtering facepiece respirators to reduce the risk of airborne particles and prevent them from respiratory infections. However, there are no respirator fit testing and training regulations in China. Meanwhile, no study has been conducted to investigate the fit of various respirators. The objective of this study was to investigate whether people obtained...

A low cost UAV for aerial photography is constructed and tested. The UAV transfers images as they are captured via 802.11g to a ground station. Photo-mosaics are immediately assembled using SIFT keypoints for automatic image registration.

Three classes of exopolysaccharide (EPS) defective mutants were isolated by Tn3Hogusinsertion mutagenesis of Rhizobium sp. strain TAL1145, which nodulates tree legumes. The class I and class III mutants produced 10-22% of the EPS produced by TAL1145 and appeared partially mucoid while the class II mutants formed small, opaque and non-mucoid colonies. Size-fractionation of the soluble EPSs made ...